St. Michael’s knows how to get it done

St. Michael’s knows how to get it done, and the reason is how it does it on the pitch, and thanks to this it now plays a late afternoon state 1A-3A championship soccer match in defense of its title won against last year over Socorro.

This time, Socorro was a 2nd-seed and the Lady Horsemen a 3rd-seed, and Tuesday afternoon, at the Socorro field, but it didn’t matter to St. Michael’s as it got it done, 4-2, to disappoint the Warriors fans again, and their team exited with a 15-4 overall record.

So now St. Michael’s meets another familiar opponent in top-seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep, and while the Lady Horsemen blanked the Sundevils, 5-0, in last year’s semifinals at home, this time the teams meet up at the University of New Mexico Soccer Complex with the scheduled starting time set for 5:30 p.m.

In avenging the 1-0 loss versus Socorro at the same site, St. Michael’s (14-4)

struck quickly in another back-to-back stellar effort from junior Grace Sandoval. Against visiting East Mountain in the 5-0 quarterfinals, Sandoval scored twice to keep abreast of sophomore teammate Elsa Ranney Smith as the team’s leading scorers.

This time, it was another double for Sandoval, the first coming 17 minutes into the match on a  booming shot from the right corner, 25 yards out, and into the right corner of the goal.

The second came when Smith had a corner kick, laced it sharply in front of the goal, it was rebounded by the goalkeeper, and in slid Sandoval to kick it past the goalie. In between, Socorro tied the score at 1-1, and then again at 2-2 in the first half, but Smith brought her side the lead for good in the second half.

A player with a multiple of skills, Smith made like a basketball point guard when, with 18 minutes remaining in regulation, made her way to the right wing, dribbled past a few defenders, and almost with no angle, managed to get off a liner in the left corner of the goal.

The insurance goal came seven minutes after Smith’s feat. Junior Farrah Baker got to a lose ball in the opposite box and sent it into the goal. Soccoro failed to tally in the second half and got away only six shots, four on splendid saves by Lady Horseman senior goalie Milena Keene.

St. Michael’s got away 20 shots and dominated the second half after a tight first half.

Said second-year head coachso Alfonso Camarena of the Lady Horsemen: “We just played our usual game. We put pressure on their goal, and our defense was super, especially from the midfield play of sophomores Cameren Gantt

and Tara Schneider.

“Hopefully, we will have another good game on Thursday and hoist another championship trophy.”